Virginia Gun Control Fight Launches ‘2A Sanctuary’ Tidal Wave

U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- In the week since tens of thousands of Second Amendment activists descended on Richmond, Virginia to oppose a string of Democrat-sponsored gun control measures, the “Second Amendment Sanctuary” movement has added considerable momentum to a movement that was already well underway, according to The Hill.

No doubt more fuel will be added to that fire with the report from Oklahoma that Democrat State Rep. Jason Lowe “has filed a bill that would repeal permitless carry,” as revealed by KFOR News.

According to the report, Lowe justifies his effort contending, “I do not want the citizens of Oklahoma to feel unsafe. I do not want a mass shooting to take place in the State of Oklahoma.”

It is not clear how a proposed repeal of Oklahoma’s “constitutional carry” statute would prevent a mass shooting. Indeed, up in Washington State in the wake of a rush-hour shooting incident in downtown Seattle last week that left seven wounded and one woman dead, anti-gunners there are also pushing various gun control measures by exploiting the incident. Evergreen State rights activists argue that none of the proposed laws would not have prevented two suspects with long criminal histories from opening fire, and they note that none of the existing gun control laws adopted in recent years prevented it, either.

According to The Hill, “At least 83 counties nationwide have declared themselves as Second Amendment sanctuaries this month, following at least 131 last month, according to a count of local media reports.”

Back on April 19, 2019, Ammoland News published a “How To” on lobbying for the creation of a “Second Amendment Sanctuary.” It was shared thousands of time on social media.

Recently, the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms issued a joint statement supporting the Sanctuary movement.

The Associated Press and WBNS reported that the Democrat majority in Virginia’s General Assembly have advanced “a package of gun-control measures less than a week after tens of thousands of pro-gun advocates from around the country rallied at the state Capitol.”

The story later acknowledged, “Virginia has become a key flashpoint in the national debate over gun violence.”

Activists across the landscape are ramping up their criticism of news organizations that have adopted the term “gun violence” from the gun control lobby. They wonder why authorities never make similar references to “knife violence” or “blunt object violence.” The objective appears to be the vilification of firearms, rather than the criminals who are responsible for violent crime.

And that brings the discussion back around to the situation in Seattle, which could provide the momentum to shift the argument to where it actually belongs, according to the gun rights community: lenient courts and prosecutors.

As reported by various Seattle regional news agencies, the suspects in that incident were quickly identified as Marquise Latrelle Tolbert and William Ray Tolliver, both 24 and both with lengthy criminal backgrounds. Between them they’ve been arrested at least 65 times and racked up a combined 35 convictions, a revelation that appalled CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, and even got the attention of the traditionally anti-gun Seattle Times editorial page.

Reacting to the Seattle shooting, Gottlieb said in a prepared statement, “More than 25 years ago, Washington gun owners got behind ‘Three Strikes’ and ‘Hard Time for Armed Crime’ initiatives because those laws focused on bad guys while leaving good guys alone. What happened in Seattle might be a wake-up call to the gun control crowd to try it our way again, instead of continuing this campaign to erode our rights while violent criminals run loose.”

Gottlieb recalled that in 2014, CCRKBA and other Second Amendment groups opposed a “universal background check” initiative that ultimately passed, warning voters at the time that the measure “would not prevent bad guys from getting guns.”

“A year later,” he added, “we warned the City of Seattle that adopting a tax on firearms and ammunition would create a false sense of accomplishment, but wouldn’t prevent violent crime, and (last) Wednesday night proved us right on both counts.”

Other jurisdictions also have career criminals, but liberal politicians have long been able to shift the blame to guns. However, thanks to the Seattle Times editorial, that may be changing.

“The incident was the act of criminals with a brazen disregard for bystanders,” the newspaper stated. “But Seattle’s political establishment shares some responsibility for allowing criminal activity along Third Avenue to fester and become a magnet for troublemakers.

“A chorus of progressive politicians responded to Wednesday’s shooting by calling for stricter gun-control laws,” the editorial added, “…but there are already strict laws against felons having guns.”

Gottlieb couldn’t agree more, noting, “Instead of complaining about guns on the street, why aren’t officials in Seattle and Olympia working to keep people like these two suspects off the street?”

The same question might be asked of politicians in Richmond, who could not possibly have been blind to the estimated 22,000 citizens who gathered at their Capitol on Jan. 20, or to Oklahoma Rep. Lowe, who appears content to move against law-abiding citizens rather than criminals.

It is this sort of political posturing—in Richmond, Oklahoma City and Olympia, and elsewhere—that is fueling the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement. While anti-gun politicians may argue such resolutions have no force of law, they are a powerful symbol in the court of public opinion.

Such opinion has a way of shifting votes, and if Second Amendment activists can maintain their momentum until November, the political landscape in states such as Virginia and Washington, neighboring Oregon and a few others could experience an earthquake of monumental political proportions. That will, say some observers, be a daunting task, but if gun owners across the country take a lesson from Virginia, it’s not out of the question.

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.